Identification of miRNAs and Their Target Genes in Taraxacum spp

MicroRNAs are endogenous noncoding RNA that play vital roles in all plant cellular metabolic processes by mediating target gene expression. To date, miRNAs in Taraxacum spp., which is an important industrial plant, have remained largely unknown. In the present study, ۹۷۰ miRNAs from ۳۹۹ families were identified in Taraxacum spp by conducting computational approaches. The most frequent miRNAs in Taraxacum spp was miR۵۰۲۱. According to the KEGG results, miR۵۰۲۱, miR۸۳۸, and miR۱۵۳۳ are related to the terpene biosynthesis pathway, while miR۵۰۱۵b, and miR۱۴۳۶ are involved in the starch and sucrose biosynthesis pathways. Quantitative real-time PCR assay was performed to validate the expression levels of five predicted miRNAs and ۳-Hydroxy-۳-Methylglutaryl Coenzyme A Reductase (HMGCR) and invertase as the target genes. Results indicated that the highest relative expression of miR۱۵۳۳ and miR۱۴۳۶ occurred in the flower, while the highest transcripts levels of miR۵۰۱۵b were observed in the stem. In addition, the higher relative expression level of the miR۵۰۲۱ and miR۸۳۸ was consistent with the lower expression level of the HMGCR gene in all tissue, suggesting that miR۵۰۲۱ and miR۸۳۸ are involved in regulating HMGCR gene expression. Since mevalonate pathway is the main source of isopentenyl pyrophosphate, which is used in the synthesis of rubber, miR۵۰۲۱ and miR۸۳۸ play an important role in the production of rubber by regulating the expression of HMGCR enzyme. These findings will accelerate future perspective studies on the regulatory mechanisms of miRNAs in Taraxacum kok-saghyz.

کلیدواژه ها:

MicroRNA ، Natural rubber ، RNA-seq ، Taraxacum kok-saghyz ، Terpene.